Transnet to boost coal, iron ore rail capacity

Transnet plans to increase its capacity to haul iron ore from mines to ports by 56% over the next seven years, chief executive Brian Molefe said on Tuesday.

Molefe also said Transnet, whose wagons carry 53-million tonnes of iron ore currently, would increase its capacity to move coal from mines to ports from 68-million tonnes to 97.5 million tonnes over the same period.

Transnet recently tripled its capital investment programme to R300-billion rand over seven years to expand infrastructure in Africa’s biggest economy, where bottlenecks on rail lines and at ports have slowed exports and economic growth.